Al Capone Florida police mugshot

If crime doesn’t pay why did Al Capone own this rare diamond-encrusted watch?

Many Patek Philippe collectors will have their eyes on a June watch auction in New York with a particularly sparkling pocket watch certain to attra...
The Aviator 2004 biopic of Howard Hughes

Predicting future autograph values with movie release schedules

I was reading about autograph values the other day.  And an interesting example came up.  The 2004 release of the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator ...
Honus Wagner T206 card

7 things you didn’t know about collectible trading cards

Have you thought about investing in trading cards?  If you haven’t, maybe you should.  Here’s the first thing you may not know about this inconsequ...
Film premiere of The Robe at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles

Three classic Hollywood genres for movie memorabilia collectors to explore

A good classic Hollywood movie memorabilia collection will do something that a good Hollywood movie does.  It will tell a story.  Most of all it wi...
Andy Warhol and 20th Century celebrity

Andy Warhol and 20th Century celebrity

When you think about the artist/celebrity who do you think of?  It might well be Andy Warhol.  Though maybe it’s a more recent star, like Grayson P...
1943 s Lincoln cent in steel

The end of the Penny, a collector’s guide to the US 1 Cent piece

It seems it is official. The Penny is over.  On May 22, 2025 the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Mint would stop making the coins in 2026....
Russell Schweickart's Omega Speedmaster in gold numbered 25

Just 28 of these watches were given to moon-shot heroes, no wonder it’s already at $100,000

A watch given as a reward to an Apollo spaceman is being auctioned next month and already it’s valued at $100,000.  Russell Schweickart piloted the...
British troops in Batumi 1920 (then called Batum)

Let loose the stamps of war: 3 valuable stamps fighting for territory

Stamps are historic documents. And history is a story of conflict.  And it looks like we’re still writing new chapters in that vein, sadly.  But, l...
Buddha statue

Whose is that? Ownership, national property and treasures

As I write this, questions of ethics and ownership are the order of the day in the auction and collecting world.  The reasons?  Religion. National ...
Una and the Lion painting by Briton Riviere

The most beautiful coins ever

Coins have purpose and functionality. And their look is very much part of that.  Like a flag, a war banner, a crown or a palace they’ve always bee...
George Lazenby as James Bond

Cold war spy cameras are revealing auction lots

A June camera auction that includes one of the rarest Leicas of the 20th century also raises the lid on the cutting edge of surveillance tech durin...
a crowd celebrates VE Day in London

Collecting World War II

World War II is one of history’s greatest tragedies.  The death toll is enormous in a sprawling conflict - or series of linked conflicts - that it ...